[Leadbelly]

Radsport did a four part interview with the loquacious Sylvan Adams.

Part 1: https://www.radsport-news.com/sport/sportnews_119677.htm

We were a ProConti team. But this status poses structural problems. It is very expensive to run a ProContinental team. We don't get any money from TV rights or spectator tickets. And there are simply no good sponsorship contracts at ProContinental level. As a ProContinental team, there are no guaranteed races, so you don't know whether you will take part in a GrandTour, the classics or a monument. Since you don't know which races you take part in, it is difficult to negotiate with sponsors and tell them: give me a lot of money. But I can't tell you where we're going. This is a structural problem of ProContinental status, which is a real problem for sport.

He also says they almost had a deal to go WT in 2018 (with Jumbo the journalist thinks).

Part 2: https://www.radsport-news.com/sport/sportnews_119681.htm

This bit is more about himself and his history. One nugget further down though is that he'll only be willing to put efforts into bringing another race to Israel if the funding for it is the reverse of the Giro (he paid 90% then and the government the rest).

Part 3: https://www.radsport-news.com/sport/sportnews_119699.htm

Politt and the Katusha takeover.

This could be the most interesting part of the four, but I'm struggling to get my head round the contractual stuff.

It is interesting for us to be able to understand this exactly. We were always told that riders like Politt still had a contract ( Adams : Correct! ) And that they had to switch to Israel Cycling Academy. But that's actually not correct, because they signed a new contract with you.

Adams: Exactly, they did.

That means they were free to leave the team?

Adams: It's not that simple.

Part 4: https://www.radsport-news.com/sport/sportnews_119715.htm

In addition to Orken (and El Mehdi Chokri), there was another muslim rider that they tried to sign. The only info as to his identity is that he's at WT level. It must be Shaggy or is there anybody else?